


Peppermint

by Tayani



Series: Witch AU [2]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Fluff, Healing, M/M, Magic, Sickfic, Softness, Witch AU, continuation of Jinx it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-02
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-08-10 02:36:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16461806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tayani/pseuds/Tayani
Summary: Goro comes down with a bad cold, and it's up to Akira to brew a potion that will heal him.





	Peppermint

**Author's Note:**

> This is for Alex! Find her and her amazing art on twitter [@maruitenshi](https://twitter.com/maruitenshi)

It started with a simple cough.

Well, that was how Goro stubbornly insisted it started. He has been feeling out of it for days now, with random shivers and scratchings in his throat becoming almost constant companions to him, but he did not allow the thought he was sick to enter his mind.

They had just so much to do. The date of their next visit to the village nearby was drawing closer and closer, and both he and Akira were busy preparing potions, jinxes and protective spells, talismans and luck charms to sell on the fair.

The dawn of the day of the fair came foggy and cold with the damp, unpleasant late-autumn chill; and though Akira tried to convince him he could stay home and leave it to him, Goro insisted on taking the journey on his broom, in cold wind and colder rain.

By the time they got back – with their bags and sacks empty of all potions and filled with fresh food and daily necessities – Goro was shivering and coughing a rather ugly cough, Akira eyeing him with worry in his bright, silver eyes.

“Alright, that does it.” the raven huffed once they landed by their hut, and he had to run over to support Goro as he almost stumbled off of his broom. The brunet witch whined softly, but did not protest too much as he has been picked up and carried to the hut. Ignoring Morgana’s and Merla’s worried questions for now, Akira set Goro on the bed and helped him change his clothes into dry, comfortable ones, tucking him in and wrapping blankets and furs around him to keep him warm. As he was working – and silencing each and every one of Goro’s feeble protests – Akira explained to their familiars what was happening quietly, sighing as they skipped close, trying their best to help.

“…you’ve got a fever.” the raven sighed, leaning back up after kissing Goro’s forehead to check his temperature. “I _told you_ you shouldn’t have gone today.”

“Had to go…” Goro mumbled stubbornly, smiling as Merla fled down from her perch to sit down next to his head, picking affectionately on his hair. Akira only shook his head at him. Goro smiled tiredly; the soft pounding of an upcoming headache in his head making it somewhat hard to concentrate. And yet, he was still able to reach out his hand and catch Akira’s own, squeezing it softly.

“Hey, it’s fine… you’re here, you’ll heal me no problem.” he murmured, trying to hold back another cough. “You know how to make potions already. Just be careful, and…” the cough tore itself out of his throat, and Goro groaned softly, feeling sharp pain in his chest. Akira sighed, kneeling beside his bed and kissing his palm.

“I-I mean…” he started, hesitantly, looking at the cauldron waiting neatly by the fireplace. He has been studying how to make potions for the majority of his education with Goro – the art was tricky and even after being taught the basics, Akira sometimes struggled to master it completely. And he has never before finished a properly-working potion without Goro’s help.

“You can do this. What’s more, you _better_ do this, because… hn… I really feel like shit about now.”

Akira sighed, kissing Goro’s hand again and standing up with a little, uncertain smile.

“O-okay. I’ll try.”

 

* * *

 

Peppermint potion was the one that seemed to be a good idea to combat Goro’s illness, Akira decided; and as the brunet slept, he grabbed an unwilling Morgana and went out, painstakingly gathering what herbs needed to be freshly added for the fairly easy potion to work. Twice did his cat stop complaining about getting his paws wet and pointed out Akira was collecting the wrong plant, or the wrong part of it; and by the end of it, as he has set everything he has brought on the kitchen counter beside the merrily-bubbling cauldron, Akira felt his hands shake, uncertainty filling his mind like thick, suffocating fog.

What if what he prepared for his lover turned out not to work? What if he screwed it up and poisoned Goro somehow? Akira closed his eyes and took a few, steadying breaths. The sound of Goro’s cough – wet and ugly – shaking the brunet’s slim body in his sleep made him bite his lip.

No, alright. Goro _needed_ this. They had no leftover potions and he was a proper witch, for goodness sake. He could do this. He just needed to get a grip.

Hands no longer shaking, Akira started to mix up his herbs, adding them carefully to the cauldron, checking the recipe constantly and making double-sure he pronounced the words correctly. Soon, clear, spicy kind of smell started to raise from the cauldron, and Akira smiled weakly, wiping his forehead as he mixed the thick, greenish liquid simmering softly over the fire.

“You sure you’ve got everything?” Morgana asked from his place near Goro. The cat has spent most of Akira’s potion-making curled up on the other’s chest, purring quietly, as if he tried to soothe the pain. Akira’s eyes ran down the list of ingredients once more, before he nodded decisively.

“Should be everything. I think I added a little too much mint, but…”

“That doesn’t matter. It might actually help.” Came a soft voice from the bed, and Akira looked up, watching as Goro’s eyes blinked open and he groaned, shuddering softly under his covers. The raven was there beside him in a blink of an eye, caressing his hair and kissing his forehead again, cursing quietly at how hot to touch Goro’s skin was.

“How are you feeling?”

“Like shit.” Goro mumbled, hands twisting lightly in Akira’s robes as he snuggled closer to him, nuzzling his neck. Despite himself, the raven smiled lightly, scratching delicately over Goro’s scalp, making him purr.

“I’ll give you that potion now, alright? You’ll feel better.” he mumbled, kissing the top of Goro’s head. The witch shuddered slightly before nodding and letting him go, and Akira stumbled back to his cauldron, pulling it out from over the fire and scooping out some of the greenish, shimmering liquid, pouring it carefully into a cup. It… didn’t look bad, and it didn’t smell bad, either. Perhaps a bit too sharp, but he’ll blame it on the spices. Anyhow, it should work fine…

Akira set the cup by the bed and very gently propped Goro up, pressing it against the brunet’s lips; watching him take few long, deep gulps, before…

“… _ack!_ ”

Akira sputtered and let go of Goro, staring in absolute horror as the witch clutched on his throat and coughed, and then as _smoke_ started pouring out of his ears, shooting out like steam from two very angry steam engines. It almost looked as if Goro’s hair were on fire, there was so much smoke. And then, just as fast as it happened, it stopped – and the brunet sat there, wheezing, before looking up and smacking Akira, hard, over the head.

“It’s _peppermint_ , you _idiot_! Peppermint, not _pepper and mint_!” Goro wheezed, tears in the corner of his eyes as he shuddered, rubbing his ears sharply – which were now red, as if flushed. Akira blinked and then moved hesitantly to sit down on the side of Goro’s bed once more, looking very much on the verge of tears himself, mumbled apologies falling from his lips. The brunet sighed and shook his head finally, silencing him and laying down on the bed; only to start when Merla fluttered over to sit on his chest, looking at him critically.

“…how are you feeling, though?” the crow asked, tilting her beak as Goro looked up at her. “Because you _look_ a lot better.”

Akira stared, and then hesitantly leaned in; kissing Goro’s forehead for the third time. It was cool to the touch. Completely normal.

“…your fever’s gone, too.” he murmured, more surprised than relieved at this point. Slowly, Goro pulled himself up once more, moving around testily a bit and swallowing a few times, as if to test his throat. And then, he stared at Akira, and at the remaining potion the witch prepared for him.

“…peppermint potion does not work this well.” he murmured finally; and Akira grinned.

“So… does it mean I didn’t screw up, after all…?”

“Well, it’s _not_ peppermint potion… but it _is_ better. You’ve… actually made a better healing potion than the one I know. Can you remember what you put into it?”

“I can.” Akira nodded, relief finally shining through his momentary panic. Goro rubbed the back of his neck, before sighing as he took Akira’s hand in his own.

“…sorry I snapped at you?”

“Don’t worry about it.” the witch laughed somewhat shakily. “Honestly, when I saw that smoke go out your ears, I was sure I poisoned you or something. I deserved a smack.”

“Well, you deserve _this_ for curing me so fast.” Goro smiled softly and pulled Akira close; pressing their lips together in a gentle, sweet kiss that made Akira let out a soft sound and melt against the hands cupping his cheeks. Really, the power Goro’s kisses had over the raven, even weeks after his heart has been healed and they became a thing was amazing. It made the brunet’s head spin sometimes, how easily he could get Akira to do whatever he wanted, if only it meant the raven will be receiving a kiss for his troubles.

“So…” Goro murmured once they parted, his eyes softening lightly as he noticed the sweet, dazed smile Akira looked back at him with. “What do you want to name the potion?”

“…name it?”

“Well, it’s your invention, after all.”

“Uh…” Akira hummed wonderingly, laying down next to Goro; snuggling against his chest happily and purring when Goro laughed and ruffled his hair. “How about _Pepper-up potion_?”

“Pepper-up. I like it, somehow.” Goro smiled, kissing Akira’s forehead. “Let’s just make sure people know one of the side effects is getting smoke pouring out your ears for a few seconds before we sell it. I don’t fancy anyone else getting the kind of scare I did…”

**Author's Note:**

> Pepper-up potion borrowed from HP universe :)
> 
> If you like my stories, you can find me on twitter [@mikan_writings](https://twitter.com/mikan_writings) and/or tumblr at [mikan_writings](https://mikan-writings.tumblr.com/)!


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